Annual May Boundary Waters Trip

On May 1, Nebraska was treated to a small snow storm.  By morning we had almost 2 inches!

My tulips came us twice during the winter months, encouraged by weeks of mild weather, only to succumb to the snow and cold that is inevitable in those months.   In April they came up again and were damaged by hail.  They did bloom in May and were surprisingly beautiful considering all they had been through.

This one suffered casualties from the newspaper carrier.

We had 9 days before leaving on our Boundary Waters trip.  It was cold in NE and even colder up north.  The Piragis website said that all the lakes were still frozen.

I had wedding clothes to make before we left on our trip, so I was very busy in my sewing room.

Coordinated vests, bow-ties, and dress

We also attended Anna's graduation from UNO.  We are very proud of her!

Jake:  "No more money."

Rusty and Anna trading hats.

After days of packing for our trip, Piragis was still reporting ice on all the lakes.  With sun and rain the ice can melt quickly, but everyone was still waiting.  We debated about aborting our trip.  Our guide, Steve Johnson, felt certain we could at least make it up the Moose River and find a make-shift campground if necessary, so we decided to go.

Our pre-entry night is spent at Fenske Campground.  It was cool and there was still some snow.

That lime green thing in the background is our new tent.

On May 11 we met up with our guide, Steve, who felt that the previous night's wind might have helped with ice out.  We began our paddle up the Moose River.  As promised, the wind began howling, and then it started snowing!

One more turn up this river and the wind began whipping up a genuine snow storm.

Luckily the ice had melted on Nina Moose Lake and we were able to find a campsite.  In the afternoon the sun came out and we all enjoyed soaking in its warmth.

campsite on Ninamoose Lake

Our first evening meal was without fish, but the second day Steve caught a Northern big enough to supplement the rest of our food.

A pair of swans followed us from lake to lake our entire trip!

There had been enough sunshine that we felt confident the ice would be melted on the next couple of lakes.  We packed up and headed north.  The first portage we did was long and bony.  (Lots and lots of big rocks!)  There were some places where we had to step on a spot barely a foot wide between high rocks and lift the canoe through the narrow passage.

The second portage of the day was a little shorter and the rocks weren't quite as big.  It had beautiful birch trees on it!

We took a shortcut to the last portage of the day.  It involved a narrow piece of water surrounded by tall marsh grass.  The first few feet were as wide as is seen in this picture, but it quickly narrowed.  Most of the waterway was barely wide enough for the canoe, yet 4-5 feet deep.  The 90º turns were too sharp for the canoe, so we had to balance on the marsh-grass while maneuvering the canoe through the turn.

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We raced some other campers to get to the campsite located on the island in Rams Head Lake.  It was a gorgeous spot.

There were many giant white pines.

Eagles drifted past every day.

We pitched our tents and strung a tarp to shield us from the occasional raindrops.

hugging a white pine

As soon as tents are up and gear is arranged, it's important to find the facilities.

The "out" (no house) is a short hike into the woods.  Great privacy!

It's important to have a good supply of dry wood.

Most of our wood comes from abandoned beaver huts like this one.

Rusty rigs up the rods so we can fish for some supper.

The morning of the second day on this island is calm and gorgeous!

I followed a good-sized beaver while paddling my canoe.  He was easy to see in the calm water.

Rusty and Steve fished.

This was the island on Rams Head Lake where we camped for 3 nights.

Same island, closer view.

Only a short while after we enjoyed this calm lake, the wind kicked up and howled for the rest of the day and night.  We had white-caps all around us.

When it's too windy to paddle or fish, you might as well carve a toothpick.

The third day on the island I caught the prize fish.

It was a 30-inch Northern Pike!

I was screaming so loud they could have heard me two lakes away.

Happy Hour was pistachios and Bacardi 151.

On our final morning, the pair of trumpeter swans that had been with us the entire trip woke us up with their honking.  We decided to take the northern, longer route on our way out.  There were some gorgeous places to paddle and some beautiful views.

So beautiful!

Sometimes the beavers have made a dam across part of the river.  We lift the canoes over the dam while trying to balance on the dam itself.  Then the canoes have to be dragged through the rocks on the low side of the dam.

Rusty is dragging his canoe through the rocks.

The first time across a portage is with the canoe.  Mine is only a little under 40 pounds.

The second time across the portage is pretty easy.  The 3rd time is with the packs and paddles.

There was a cow and her calves on (no surprise) Moose River.

It was sunny and very warm when we stopped on this sandy beach for lunch.

We climbed up some very tall rocks for a better view.

This is a look back at Moose River where we had been paddling.

Rusty nears the falls, which signal the end of our trip.

Can't wait to come back again!